Theft Proofing Kicker motor

[Fishn Technishn]

OK, I got the new Honda 9.9 kicker installed WITH a McGard Locking bolt plus an outboard lock on the transom screws. I figure it is more trouble than it's worth to get it off.

My son comes over and flattens me with a question!! 'What's to stop some dirtbag from pull starting the Honda while it is docked and running down the lake with the WHOLE boat!!. That Honda is so quiet you wouldn't even hear it"

DUH! I never even considered that one.

Anybody got any suggestions/cures for this? What does everyone else do?

Is a fuel lock a possible answer?

 

FT

[ccmtcanada]

I was talking to a guy about this. Apparently, at a marina one night there were a bunch of thefts....some had locking mechanisms for the outboards, so they just cut through the transom around the bolts to get it off. If someone wants it badly enough they are going to take it....for the run of the mill opportunistic thief, the regular lock/deterrents are probably good enough.

[Blue_Axela]

ccmt is right. Where there is a will, there is a way. Your best bet is to have it insured since you never know what's going to happen.

[Wild]

An outboard could be rigged with an ear piercing alarm.

 

Of course if one was crafty enough a permanent dye bomb could be rigged as well hehe just look for the florescent pink thief

[mbac31]

Just do what I do with my trucks and my boat. Pull out the fuse for the fuel pumps or some other sort of fuse. Cant steal if it wont start. Lol. I have had 2 truck stolen with antitheft and GPS locators as well. Where there is a will there is a way. All the tricks they have I figured they dont normally carry fuses.

[jwl]

insurance......if someone wants to steel something bad enough...any deterrant is just going to be a challenge really..my stuff is insured...not that I am promoting it, but they wanna steel it..power to ya...I got all the serial numbers ect written down and plenty of pics of my boats

[Nanook]

When I had my 40hp / Bass boat, I would pull the plugs and put dead ones in. Never thought about the in-line fuse

Insurance is a must of course.

[didoban]

Outboard motor lock, of course. But I remove the cowling off and place outboard cover/bag over the motor to protect from element. If the thief wants it bad enough, they'll take it.

[Mike the Pike]

I have a padlock on the motor but I also lock the main motor to my kicker with a thick cable lock now I know if they want it they will cut the locks

but docked beside my boat is always easier prey that is not locked .

 

What we need is a new justice system where it would be 10 yrs in the clink for such a theft.

 

 

[Fishn Technishn]

ALL great suggestions & THANK YOU! My problem is NOT if they try to take the motor off the boat, as I have locks and a few surprises for them! It's if some dirtbag gets in the boat while at the dock and simply pull starts the kicker motor and takes off down the lake. HOW do I immobilize the kicker from starting when it is unattended??? I could pull the plugs but that is one big PAIN. Surely someone has seen a simple solution!

FT

[Bondar]

should design a lock to go over the fuel line connectors

so you cant plug the can in

i own the patent ha

[ccmtcanada]

ALL great suggestions & THANK YOU! My problem is NOT if they try to take the motor off the boat, as I have locks and a few surprises for them! It's if some dirtbag gets in the boat while at the dock and simply pull starts the kicker motor and takes off down the lake. HOW do I immobilize the kicker from starting when it is unattended??? I could pull the plugs but that is one big PAIN. Surely someone has seen a simple solution!

FT

 

When I had my boat slipped up north last month, I simply took the fuel line off and took it with me. Easy for me because mine's a tiller with the gas tank sitting right in front of it. Pulling plugs is a pain...is there a way to lock the cover down? If so, then just disonnect the spark plug wires....if they want to go thru the trouble to break the cover then I suppose it wouldn't help.

[Dartee]

Are you able to lock it in the raised position so the prop wont be in the water ? Cant get to far then...

[ravinerat]

My buddy had his kicker stolen a few nights ago from his driveway. Had one of those lockes across the part that screws across the transom. They just cut all the locks off and walked away with it. Obviously they were prepared. He's on this site and I'm sure will tune in soon. I remove my gas line like mentioned if leaving tied in a public place. At home my 15 hp stays on a stand in the garage. Pain to take it on and off but it's safe.

 

 

RR

[Wild]

Pulling the coil wire constantly is not a good idea because you can damage the wire or weaken the plug connection. The best way to disable the ignition is to wire a switch into the primary coil wire somewhere in between the coil and the stop switch.

[charlesn]

Maybe a long kryptonite chain like for bikes to fasten the boat to the dock. But I guess enterprising thiefs will have something that cuts through that like butter. But if you want to prevent the joyrider from messing with your boat, it would probably work. With my luck they'd probably take the whole damn dock too. lol

 

Charles

[cranks bait]

Yup, make sure you lock the boat up. Even if the motor doesn't work, who's to say they don't have another boat to just simply tow it to another location and then deal with it?

[gdelongchamp]

Where I lived on an island quite often boats would disappear from the ferry dock as someone missed the last trip home after bar closing and would check the docks for a boat or canoe to make the trip across. I may have been guilty of that once or twice. (in my younger days). Of course they would always insure the boat was tied up properly on the other side.

 

I began to use a chain locked to an anchor point on the boat, ( a transom handle) then run the chain through the outboard tiller handle at the base, then through the gas tank handle and the chain would be long enough to go through a boat mooring ring on the dock then I would place the lock there. Otherwise the chain would remain in the boat and everything was attached together. That had always been the best deterrent for many years. Somtimes I had to replace the ring on the dock. Of course everything is insurred and I have my pictures and ser. #'s.

[fishinggeek]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I know of none of them and I'm always concerned about theft.

[Fishn Technishn]

WOW!! THANKS to all for the suggestions. I think the removal of the gas line should do the trick....I hope.

 

Thanks again, I might be able to sleep tonight now! LOL

 

FT

[canadadude]

If your kicker has a portable gas line run the gas out of the motor and take the gas line home!! No gas! No go! that would be the easiest I would think

Edited August 29, 2008 by canadadude

[Silo Buster]

A hidden on\off toggle switch.

[Greencoachdog]

Removing the fuel line will deter them the first time they come to get your boat, but if they want it bad enough whats to stop them from just paddling it off and towing it with another boat when they get a safe distance?

 

It sounds like you live on the water and want to keep your boat docked for the convenience, and if that's the case... the best you can hope for is to slow them down and maybe someone will notice them. A couple of good cable type locks run thru dock cleats and the bow and transom eyes will slow them down a little.

 

A couple of yarddogs that don't like strangers will be your best deterent!!! A motion detection light installed on your dock will also help alert you or your neighbors to someone futzing around on your dock at night.